RSO Stories

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warhwkbb

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I used to volunteer as an RSO for a busy outdoor shooting range. I saw some pretty odd behavior most days but occasionally someone would do something extraordinarily stupid;
Like the time a shooter walked out in front of a live firing line to change his target.

What memorable experiences can you share during your time as an RSO?
 
jak67429

Probably the worst thing, we stopped to sight in a rifle at a public range and there was a guy at the bench shooting at a target with an SKS, and younger guy(his son I think) standing next to the target pointing to the hits.
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WOW!!! That's just plain old stupid scary!
 
There have been a few interesting folks. And I have been swept more times than your gramma’s back steps.
But for the most part, the people at the range that I spend time at are great people that might have a lapse in
muzzle disciple now and then. When you nicely point out to them that they need to be careful, most are.
I have been volunteering for about fifteen years. I get to meet other people that like shooting as much as I do.
And you get to check out a lot of different guns. What’s not to like?



Sorry, I don’t think I want to talk about the guns that blew up, or the guy who’s slide broke in half and hit him in the eye,
or the lady that shot herself. I prefer to think about all the good people just having fun.
 
jak67429 said:
Probably the worst thing, we stopped to sight in a rifle at a public range and there was a guy at the bench shooting at a target with an SKS, and younger guy(his son I think) standing next to the target pointing to the hits.
Click to expand...

Had that happen here.
The range had two bays separated by a berm, one side 100 yard rifle, the other side 50 yard pistol and smallbore.
FLG and I were checking out a pistol when we heard across the dividing berm:
100 yard line - BANG
0 yard line - "Joe, that one was two inches to the left."
 
Trunk Monkey said:
There was a former THR member (his name escapes me) who was murdered at a public range and had his guns stolen. He was shooting alone
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:what:!

Good Lord! Thankfully I'm on our own eighty. With a large steel gate.

And here I was worried about steel plate splashback or bugging the nice neighbors or the crazy horse lady neighbor that sometimes trespasses in the back...
 
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I was voluntold to be range safety many times in my military career. And based on those experiences alone, just because someone served does not make them an expert in firearms. I saw many backwards magazines, magazines loaded in all manner of incorrect, and even soldiers who couldn't figure out why their weapon wasn't firing without a magazine in. I recall a female soldier who did not know how to turn on her red dot sight or her PEQ-15. For the PEQ I told her to push the button, as there is only one button on the whole device. It is the size of a half dollar and she still couldn't find it.
 
herrwalther said:
just because someone served does not make them an expert in firearms.
Click to expand...
The worst and most unsafe gun handling I’ve ever seen was from a veteran and someone who served in the reserves. The vet put my friend in danger. The reserves guy was my father, and after he reassembled his pistol after cleaning he pulled the trigger to check function, while it was pointed right at me.

I’m not an RSO and don’t want to hijack, but I agree. Assume nothing based on career and background.
 
A guy routinely swept me at the unmonitored outdoor range here.
As all too commonly seen, he would turn the pistol across is body to unload or load. I term it "reading the instructions on the barrel."
He did not appreciate being taken to task over it.
I left.

If I have the misfortune of running into him again, I will be sure to set up on his right side.
 
I could write a book about some of the idiotic things I have seen on ranges. Some were just stupid, some were seriously dangerous. One of my favorites- when I was training some soldiers in a certain country to our south, I issued them all earplugs first thing (normal procedure). Fast forward to the point where they are firing their weapons attempting to zero. One of them had inserted his ear plugs into his nostrils, while firing his weapon on the line (he was the only one in this configuration, so I knew it wasn't due to my poor language skills). When I asked him why he did this, he said it was so that dust didn't go up his nose on the firing lin.Another one- same unit- one of their geniuses was caught while painting targets with a paper target rolled into a funnel- he was spraying the paint into the funnel and inhaling it to get high. IMO, they are a long way from ever getting their flag on the moon.
 
Jim Watson said:”guy routinely swept me at the unmonitored outdoor range here.
As all too commonly seen, he would turn the pistol across is body to unload or load.”.

I had just set my range bag on the bench at a local outdoor range when a man to my left (who must have been practicing this technique) had a ND! The round sounded like it came right down the firing line! The guy looked up with a silly grin on his face, waved and shouted “sorry “ and went back to what he was doing. Didn’t take me and a couple of other shooters long to pack up and leave!

When we reported the incident, the range manager said “I think I know who he is. He won’t be back.” But I didn’t return either. I feel safer shooting somewhere else.
 
I think that every RO has seen hot brass go down shooters' shirts. The resulting dances can be entertaining, or dangerous. Catching a 22lr or pistol case is pretty benign, but a shooter with a rifle case down his shirt can look like he's auditioning for a remake of Saturday Night Fever

I've taken more than one female shooter aside who came to the range with a low-cut top and carefully explained that she might want to be prepared to do the "keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction and then grab the brass through your shirt and hold it there until it cools down" drill.

Guys with tank tops get the same advice.
 
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